Steve Orlando’s Prediction Comes True, Marvel Comics Scraps ‘Scarlet Witch’ After Just 10 Issues
John F. Trent
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Writer Steve Orlando’s prediction that his ongoing Scarlet Witch series would be scrapped at 10 issues has come true.
Scarlet Witch #10 Cover Art by Russell Dauterman (2023), Marvel Comics
ComicBookMovie.com reports the series will end after its 10th issue, which arrives in comic book shops in November. The outlet states, “Marvel Comics has announced plans to end the current Scarlet Witch series with issue #10.”
However, in order to hide the book’s failure, the outlet reports the series “will evolve in a fascinating way in January before ultimately returning later in 2024.”
Orlando also stated, “And we’re far from done – I can’t wait for folks to see what we’ve been conjuring up next, something that celebrates a massive milestone for Wanda and her family, and explodes this current season up into something gonzo, blockbuster, and bursting with power. Wanda will return stronger, bolder, and more powerful than ever – and not alone!”
Scarlet Witch #10 Cover Art by Felipe Massafera (2023), Marvel Comics
The book’s cancellation comes after Orlando predicted back in June that it might get scrapped after 10 issues. In a now-deleted post on X, Orlando responded to a query about the book’s sales. He wrote, “Sales are struggling, alongside the whole industry. Right now, we’ll hopefully get to ten.”
He then added, “To get even 15 issues, sales will need to continue to climb.”
Steve Orlando Twitter
The writer then speculated that the cost of comics might have something to do with sales across the industry struggling.
He responded to a user who wrote, “Comics are crazy expensive now. I’m all in on manga, which is much more affordable.”
Orlando replied, “I’m with you! Not that prices are up to – we’re in a weird spot where folks in general keep wanting a higher and higher production value and paper quality. Which is part, but all of it, of course.”
Steve Orlando Twitter
What makes this cancellation even more interesting is that Scarlet Witch was at one time a top 10 selling comic book according to ICv2’s ComicHub system that tracks point-of-sale data at over 125 stores selling American comics around the world.
The fourth issue of the book was the 8th most sold series back in April 2023. The seven titles that outsold Scarlet Witch #4 were Amazing Spider-#23, Batman #134, Spider-Man #7, Guardians of the Galaxy #1, Amazing Spider-Man #24, Venom #18, and X-Men #21.
The series was 14th on the most sold series by dollars being bested by Batman #134, Amazing Spider-Man #23, Guardians of the Galaxy #1, Spider-Man #7, Avengers Assemble Omega #1, Marvels Voices Spider-Verse #1, Amazing Spider-Man #24, Batman & Joker The Deadly Duo #6, Sins of Sinister Dominion #1, Venom #18, X-Men #21, Immoral X-Men #3, and Superman #3.
Scarlet Witch #4 (2023), Marvel Comics
The month of April appeared to see the series move up on the charts. In March, Scarlet Witch #3 was 13th in most sold units and 22nd in most sold by dollars.
Scarlet Witch #2 was 17th in units sold in February and 12th in most sold by dollars.
ICv2 reported in January that the debut issue was the third most sold book by units only being bested by Amazing Spider-Man #17 and Batman #131. It was the fifth most sold book by dollars behind Nightwing #100, Amazing Spider-Man #17, Batman #131, and Batman One Bad Day Bane #1.
Scarlet Witch #1 (2023), Marvel Comics
Looking at more recent releases of the series saw it significantly decline on ICv2’s ComicHub system. In May, Scarlet Witch #5 was the 37th most sold book. It did not even chart on their top 50 comic books by dollars chart for the month.
In June the Scarlet Witch Annual #1 placed in 44th on the most sold book list. The $4.99 price tag also saw it bring the book to the 32nd on the top 50 comic books by dollars chart.
Scarlet Witch #6 fell to the 48th slot on the most sold book list in July. Like the fifth issue, the book did not chart on the comic books by dollars chart.
Finally, Scarlet Witch #7 jumped to 46th on the most sold book list in August. It did not chart on the comic books by dollars list.
Scarlet Witch #7 Cover Art by Russell Dauterman (2023), Marvel Comics
Not only did a book that had previously been in the top 10 most sold comics back in April get scrapped, but a book that is consistently in the top 50 most sold comic books month to month is getting scrapped.
What does that tell you about the state of the comic book industry? For one, it means that even books in the top 50 are not moving enough units at the $3.99 price point to seemingly justify the cost to make them.
Scarlet Witch #8 Cover Art by W. Scott Forbes (2023), Marvel Comics
RELATED: Kelly Sue DeConnick Laments The Abysmal State Of Comics After Telling People Not To Buy Her Books
In fact, this is something that Kelly Sue DeConnick admitted was happening years ago.
Speaking with Nerd News Daily with Destiny, DeConnick alongside her husband Matt Fraction was asked, “Did you think comics would be this, sort of, phenomenon that it is currently?”
She responded, “Boy, that’s hard because from our perspective the industry has contracted and we’re very worried about comics right now. So, it’s always interesting to me that the outside perspective is always, ‘Comics are booming!’”
Fraction then chimed in stating, “I don’t think I share…I think you’re more pessimistic about it than I am. I understand the why of it all, but I also feel like…”
He would go on to discuss how comic book merchandising has blown up and how The Walking Dead and Scott Pilgrim were the biggest presences at San Diego Comic-Con.
Photo of Kelly Sue DeConnick, taken at HeroesCon 14 in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 22, 2014. Photo Credit: DiScOrD tHe LuNaTiC, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
DeConnick would later add, “I think I tend to be pretty optimistic, but in this one I’m worried. I’m straight worried.”
When asked why, she responded, “Because stores are closing at a phenomenal rate. Independent comic sales are down. Mainstream comic sales are down except the top three or five books are up. Everything in the mid list is way down.”
“Numbers that used to be numbers that would get you cancelled are now like, ‘No, that’s a hit.’ Independent books making the back the cost of doing floppies is– like names that should be able to do it no sweat are going into the red on singles and not coming out until the trades. And it worries me,” she elaborated.
Scarlet Witch #3 (2023), Marvel Comics
What do you make of Scarlet Witch getting scrapped after 10 issues?
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